Spring for the herb gals at Garden Delights means we are getting ready not just to begin harvesting and finalize some cleanup but to set and get started on our yearly class series.  Our classes are a time to share information and to answer burning questions about all things herbal, secretly one of things we like to do best. We sometimes make presentations to local groups and at once such recent event we were asked about fertilizing herb plants.  Most of us think of our perennial herbs plants as sturdy hardy souls who require little attention.  That’s part of the beauty of growing them.  We did answer the question presented to us and would like to share that information with you.

Herb plants are kind of stuck in one place, unless we move them, so consequently over time they use all the nutrients in their soil.  To keep plants healthy and maintain growth for continued harvests, we have to help them have a good source of nutrients which means a shot of fertilizer.  ­­A great time for this nutrient shot is in spring which will officially occur this month, so read on to get all the info on how to renew our hardy herb friends with some nutrients. 

Just what fertilizer to use?  Many of the nurseries and even large variety stores will carry a good supply of organic fertilizers, many of them designed especially for herbs.  Some are liquid to be mixed with water and applied with a sprinkling can.  Others are dry and can be sprinkled around the base of the plants.  Choose either dry or liquid, whichever you want to apply.  We typically use a dry kind and let the spring rains water it in. Often they contain fish, feather or blood meal products, so keep that in mind if you have pets who may have access to your herb garden area.  From experience we can attest to what happens when big black dogs begin to dig around your herb plants! 
In ground plants have been resting all winter and will begin putting on new growth as soon as the temperatures increase.  Before they get growing too fast and the spring rains are gone, apply some fertilizer.  This one time application should be enough unless you harvest frequently and water often.  Then you might want to make a second application in mid-summer.

Herbs in containers, because they require frequent watering to keep them from getting dried out, their nutrients get washed away.  They will need a fertilizer boost a little more often.  Applying a small dose of fertilizer at least once a month or every 2-4 weeks will keep them green and happy. We like to give the mint plants we grow in pots around the greenhouse a monthly shot of liquid fish based fertilizer during the growing months, spring through fall (approx. June through October).

There may even be some herbs growing in your garden that can be used as fertilizers.  Two large, lush and green plants come to mind—comfrey and borage.   Both are good sources of nutrients and minerals such as potassium and calcium, as well as the basics of nitrogen and phosphorus. You can harvest the stems and leaves, and lay them under your in ground herb plants as a mulch and fertilizer in one.  They combine very well with manures and standard compost as well. 

Comfrey and borage also make a fantastic liquid fertilizer.  The large leaves and stems can be harvested, cut into pieces and stuffed into a 5 gallon bucket, covered with water and a lid.  The herbs should be tightly pressed into the bucket – use a rock or old brick to help hold the plants down. Set aside, wait about 30 days, strain and use as a liquid fertilizer to water the soil under the herb plants.  Just a caution—the first time the lid is removed there will be a very unpleasant odor.  The tea is fine, that’s just how it smells. Dilute the finished tea 1 part to 15 parts water, and use to water the soil under any herbs.  Try not to get it on the leaves, as sometimes it can burn the leaves of your growing herbs.  This also gets the fertilizer down to your herb plants roots, where it will be the most useful.  We loved this last summer and even got the kid to make it – he refused to help strain it once it was done – ha ha!
You can speed up the breakdown of the leaves in the bucket by adding a bit of molasses, up to 1 cup, to your tea mixture.

Many herbs have nutrients in them, so consider adding them to the compost tea recipe above, fresh or dried.

• Nettle: vitamins A, C, & K, calcium, magnesium, Sulphur, phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, boron, bromine, copper, iron, selenium and zinc.
  
• Parsley: vitamins A and C, iron, copper and manganese.
  
• Dandelion: vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium.
  

As we approach spring and warmer temperatures (surely it will happen soon!) help your herb plants have a healthy growing season with a nice dose of delicious fertilizer.

Winter Savory – Satureja montana, is a semi-evergreen low growing shrub.  It is hardy to zones 6 so typically has no problems growing in our area.  It is best started from a plant start.  As with most Mediterranean herbs, it likes full sun and well-drained soil.  Harvest the leaves as it grows and if it begins to get woody, some of the woody stems can be cut back almost to the ground to encourage new growth.  The pinkish-white flowers appear on tall stalks that are somewhat leathery and not harvested for use but do provide food for pollinators.

There are two kinds of savory – summer and winter. Summer savory is an annual that is often preferred by cooks for its flavor which is milder than winter savory.  But winter savory maintains its flavor very well when dried, so provides a lasting herbal addition for winter months.  Both savory varieties have a spicy, peppery taste and are known throughout Central and Eastern Europe as the “bean” herb.  Folk lore suggests that it “expels the wind from the stomach”.  It is a component of Herbes de Provence and goes well with meats, potatoes, stews and stronger vegetables.  It is often found commercially in sausage.  You can find Herbes de Provence and Savory Onion herb blends on the Garden Delights website.

It has been used for over 2,000 years as a healing and household herb as well as for culinary purposes.  A simple tea helps soothe the digestive system.  A strong infusion makes a good mouthwash.  To treat insect bites, bruise some fresh leaves and apply to the bite. Winter savory can be found in toothpastes and soaps.

Savory Herbal Marinade
For Beef:
2 ½  C Red Wine
3/4  C Red Wine Vinegar
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
2 tsp each fresh Thyme, Oregano and Winter Savory, coarsely chopped
Salt
Allow meat to marinate overnight or about 12 hours.
For Chicken:
Exchange the red wine for white wine and the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar. Change the herbs to tarragon, lemon thyme or lemon verbena and savory or any combination of those. 
For Pork:   add fresh mint to the White Wine Marinade.

Rosemary  - Rosmarius officinalis is an evergreen bush that can grow up to 5 feet if allowed.  It is an evergreen with needle-like leaves and grows wild along the coasts of Spain where it has its Mediterranean origins.  It likes sun and well-drained soil, but will tolerate partial shade. Since it tends to have fragile roots, in higher elevations in our area it may need to be mulched for the winter, as it has been known to suffer from the sometimes extreme cold we may have during the winter.  In some regions it is grown in containers so it can be brought indoors.

Rosemary has a long history of legends and uses of all kinds.  It is known as the herb of remembrance and friendship and was associated with many stories of the Christian religion.  In Renaissance times it was used as a strewing herb to mask odors and to ward against evil which had a secondary purpose, perhaps not known to all its users, to help prevent the spread of germs and disease. It was often included in the small bouquets (tussie-mussie) that women carried.

Rosemary’s piney fragrance makes it a good addition to potpourri which can serve double duty as an insect repellent.  Add some catnip to help ward off mosquitoes or lavender to send moths running.  With its strong pungent flavor, rosemary it pairs well with meats and wakes up mild veggies like potatoes (like those rosemary French fries so popular at a local burger joint) and beans.  It is easy to dry – place in a paper bag and wait about a week.  Be sure to grind the needley leaves before adding to your cooking.  Just ask Erin about this, as she found “pine” needles in her food at college.  As a vinegar, rosemary is an outstanding addition to any pantry.

Rosemary Vinegar
2 C white vinegar
4-5 small sprigs fresh rosemary
Place rosemary in a clear glass jar, add vinegar and cover with a plastic lid.  If a metal lid is used, place some kind of a liner between the lid and jar.  Let it sit in a sunny window for about a week or 3-4 weeks in a dark cupboard.  Taste and if ready, strain out herbs and store.  Makes a tasty salad dressing or marinade.

Thyme – Thymus vulgaris is a small mounded bush with teeny leaves.  It is an evergreen that only grows to about 8-10 inches.  It is a common (hence vulgaris) herb used extensively in cooking.  Creeping thyme is typically used as a ground cover but could replace common thymes in a pinch.  Garden thyme comes in several varieties. The two most often grown for home use are French and English.  We have both kinds at the herb farm, as well as lemon, lime and Dutch tea thymes.  There are several other varieties that are great additions to the landscape with their variegated or other colored leaves.  

Thyme likes sun and because of its size does well in a container.  The flowers grow in a vertical cluster and are typically pinkish and of course loved by bees.  In many Mediterranean countries thyme honey is considered the very best. To keep the plants small bushy mounds, in the spring prune back the stems to about half their length.
Thyme has many uses in cooking in stuffing, hearty soups, all vegetables, marinades, oils and vinegars with a special affinity to fish dishes.  Its familiar flavor is found often in French and Italian cuisine.  Although the leaves are tiny they pack a powerful flavor and thyme is often a minor ingredient in recipes or our herb blends.

Thyme leaves and flowers contain an oil called thymol which is used commercially in cosmetics and medicines. Pure thymol has been known to have negative side effects, externally and internally, so caution is in order. Tea made from fresh or dried thyme leaves is said to be good for colds and as a gargle for sore throats. It is antiseptic and disinfectant and was used during World War I to treat soldiers’ wounds.
 
 
Herbed Croutons
Using a loaf of Italian bread, slice and trim crusts from slices.  Cut slices into ½ to 1 inch pieces. Set aside.   Melt ½ C butter in skillet. Add ½ teaspoon of each dried herb – thyme, basil and marjoram (or any of your favorite herbs).  Add a little onion or garlic power if desired.  Sauté bread cubes in hot butter mixture, turning to brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels.  Ready for soups or salads.

Ah, the aromas of the holiday seasons.  Those earthy savory smells of turkey and stuffing or ham and the sweet spiciness of pies. Herbs of every kind flavor holiday meals from sage and thyme in the turkey rub to nutmeg in the pies.  Wait a minute, that nutmeg is not really an herb. 

Herbs and spices are quite different.  Herbs are plants used for flavoring, texture, fragrance or dyeing that grow in a temperate zone.  They are plants that have a culinary, medicinal or practical use that you would expect to find in a traditional herb garden.  That temperate zone is one reason we all have so many wonderful herbs in our gardens. Spices on the other hand, tend to come from woody plants in tropical zones, a reason why the majority of spices are imported. The Mediterranean region brought us herbs as the Romans conquered the world and the south Asian area brought spices along Marco Polo’s spice trail.

Often we associate herbs with savory flavors found in daily cooking while spices go with sweet delectable desserts.  We are of course big advocates for the culinary use of herbs.  However, we do also use spices and think there is no reason herbs and spices can’t go together.  The holiday stuffing could have shredded or chopped apples and/or cranberries added and along with the sage-y Poultry Blend seasoning sprinkle in a little cinnamon and/or ginger.  Winter squashes of all kinds pair well with the traditional French Herbes de Provence Blend and a little nutmeg and cinnamon.

Now that we’ve mentioned nutmeg, just what is that spice?  The ground or whole seed we use for baking comes from an evergreen tree principally grown in Indonesia and the West Indies. Nutmeg trees may reach a height of about 65 feet. It takes eight years for the trees to bear fruit and they reach their prime in 25 years, but can bear fruit for 60 years or longer. The fruit is similar in appearance to an apricot. When fully mature it splits in two, exposing a crimson-colored aril, or outer covering surrounding a single shiny brown seed, the nutmeg.  This outer covering is made into the spice mace, which has a slightly warm taste and fragrance similar to nutmeg.  Nutmeg has a distinctive pungent slightly sweet taste used to flavor all kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, even potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and of course the holiday eggnog.

Cinnamon is a widely favored in baking and can be found in traditional pumpkin pie spice blend. Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel (think Bay leaves) family.  Although native to the coast of India and Sri Lanka, where the majority of the spice is harvested, it is also grown commercially in South America and the West Indies.  When a cinnamon tree is around two years old, it is cut back to the size of a stump and covered with soil. This technique causes it to grow like a bush, with new shoots emerging out of the sides by the following year. These shoots are used to make the cinnamon we know.  Once cut, the shoots are stripped of their bark and the peels are set out to dry in the sun. As this happens, the bark naturally curls into quills or sticks which are sold whole or often ground and sold for the convenience of cooking.

he aromas of the holiday season also stir memories of times spent with family and friends and traditions associated with them.  Traditions often are cultural, brought with families as they immigrated.  Many special recipes are handed down and become an expected part of the holiday season.  The Eastern Europeans of our area are known for their use of anise seeds in baking.  An often favorite traditional cookie recipe includes anise seeds – commonly known as Springerle cookies.  The grandfather of Erin’s cousins, a German immigrant, always had these cookies at Christmas time and their mother carries on the tradition.  Here is the recipe for you to try.
 
Crisp Anise Seed Butter Cookies
Prep and Cook Time:  60 min
4 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 C butter, softened
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp anise seeds
¼ C white sugar for decoration
1 tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Gradually mix in the sifted ingredients and anise seeds until well blended. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350∞. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 ½ inches apart onto cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops with a mixture of the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until light brown. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.   schöne Ferien (happy holidays)
 
The Mexican immigrants who first came to Washington in the 1880’s brought many traditional foods, too.  Grandma McGaughey made a powdered sugar coated cookie she called Mexican Wedding cakes which are a common holiday cookie in Mexico.  Some people may also know them as Russian tea cakes.  We have the recipe written in her scrolling cursive hand and use it to make cookies to be included in our holiday cookie boxes (a tradition in our home) we take to neighbors, teachers, friends and people who have helped us throughout the year, like the post office. Here is Grandma M’s recipe and for many more Mexican delights for the holidays go to:
https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-christmas-dishes/
 
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Prep and Cook Time: 60 min
1 C butter, softened
1⁄2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1⁄4 C sifted flour
1⁄4 tsp salt
3⁄4 C chopped walnuts or 3⁄4 C pecans
powdered sugar (for rolling baked cookies in)
Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts. Chill dough if it seems too soft. Form dough into 1¼ " balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks. Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature. NOTE: Forming dough into 1" balls will increase yield.  Noche Buena (the night of goodness, Christmas Eve)

A final tradition at our house is a year end trip to a beach.  We have gone to Long Beach, Wa many times and to Tillamook, Manzanita and even San Diego and Hawaii. This year we are headed to Gray’s Harbor north of Willapa Bay. It’s a celebration of sorts for finishing the year end direct sales events – a huge thank you to all who visited us at various bazaars! We relax a little with family before heading to the greenhouse in the new year to plant seeds and propagate herbs for spring plant sales.  Whatever traditions you have may they includes lots of tasty herbs and spices, too. 

The kids will be heading back to school this month ready and eager to get back into the academic groove.  In honor of National Kid Month – September- we present some herbal ideas that will get the young ones involved with herbs, maybe the outdoors and putting those academic skills to use in practical fun ways.
The young one in our family is well aware of herbs and even has several of his own favorites.  He has been stung several times this summer by the abundance of yellow jackets. Although his first response is a lot of loud hollering, through all the noise he yells “Get Mom!”  He knows that mom will get a poultice of plantain (once chewed and slapped on the sting while in the garden) which will pull out the poison and relieve the pain.  So this summer he may say that plantain is a favorite herb.  He knows about the herbs we grow and use in our food everyday something we talk about all the time.  He has learned about herbs from his very beginning.  Something we encourage everyone to do.

Begin with food.  If you grow herbs, take your children into the garden and let them feel, taste and harvest herbs.  Name the herbs and tell them what you do with them.  Take some pictures or press some leaves and let them start a scrapbook.  Then let them help use those herbs in some cooking. This is a simple and good place to start kids out with herbs easily.  Our kiddo enjoys making dill pickles every year, and the umbrel flowers of the dill make for fun and easy harvesting.  We have also made pesto from a wide variety of herbs - what fun to chop the herbs roughly so they fit into the food processor (scissors work great for this) and then whirring them up into a lovely green paste with some oil and then mixed with pasta!

Start their own herb garden – our kiddo has his own fairy garden in between the herbs.  Some herbs to consider for a kid garden include: anise hyssop, lemon balm, catmint, beebalm, calendula and any mint such as peppermint.  These herbs all have great smells when gently rubbed, and grow easily without much care or maintenance.  Their flowers also attract a wide variety of insects, which can add an additional element of fascination for kids.  It is easy to make bouquets out of them (for gifting friends and family, something that many a young child likes to do), and they can also easily make fresh summer iced tea.  These herbs all have great medicinal uses which are safe for kids.  Lemon balm and peppermint make tasty, and tummy soothing teas when kids aren’t feeling well.  Catnip works well to help soothe and cool a fever.  Calendula can be infused in oil (any oil you’ve got on hand, such as olive, coconut, grape, etc.); once the flowers are strained out, you can use the oil for bumps, bruises, scrapes, and itchy and scratchy skin.  Add a bit of shredded beeswax to gently heated oil, then once it cools you’ve got a wonderful healing salve.

Take a foraging walk around your yard or neighborhood!  While we are talking about insects, bee stings are an often inevitable result of spending time outdoors and in the garden.  But there are several plant allies that are readily available in nearly every yard as weeds which can help with bee stings and other bug bites, itchy skin and simple scratches and owies.  Yarrow is a common garden “weed” which is great at stopping bleeding of minor cuts and scrapes.  Craft a simple poultice of chopped & ground fresh or dried herb, mixed with a bit of water, and place directly on the wound.  Plantain, also seen as a common “weed”, is terrific for bug bites and bee stings.  As mentioned above, create a simple poultice out of dried or fresh ground herb and a bit of water, and place directly on the affected area.  As the poultice heats up, be sure to change it out, so the herb can help draw out the heat and any “poison” left by the bite or sting. 

The library is a wealth of knowledge and it is free.  The Battleground Library, our favorite branch of our regional library system, is our go-to choice but the regional library system has several branches and books about herbs are readily available.  Books with colorful pictures should be helpful and interesting to children.  Let them pick out a book or two and enjoy the learning with them.  If they get really excited visit a bookstore and let them help pick out a book to keep in your home library. 

Here are a couple of suggestions:

• A Kid’s Herb Book: For Children of All Ages by Leslie Tierra
  
• Walking the World in Wonder: A Children’s Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman
  
• Herb Fairies – a series of storybooks from Learning Herbs
  

Play games. It can be as easy as “find the lemon balm” or “show me an herb that makes great tea”. There is also an actual board game for learning about herbs.  Wildcraft! from Learning Herbs is an excellent cooperative board game that teaches about herbs.  It involves an adventure to grandma’s house so how could that not be fun.  We have this game and have had fun playing it, especially since it cooperative. 
However you share herbs with your kiddos, enjoy time spent together and learning about the plants around us that are infinitely useful!

Since basil is enjoying all the sunshine, no doubt more than we are, and growing in leaps and bounds, for many cooks thoughts turn to pesto.  Traditional pesto is a colorful sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy where it is known as pesto alla genovese.  Typically it is made from crushed basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic with added olive oil and parmesan and/or Romano cheese.  The ingredients were ground with a mortar and pestle hence the name pesto.  It has a distinctive green hue and a light texture.  The Italians used pesto on pasta, of course, but it can have many other uses.

Any herb may be substituted for basil and even kale and spinach have been known to turn up in a pesto.  Be creative and use your pesto with more than pasta.  Making pesto with different herbs uses the typical basil recipe but sometimes with a few changes for the nuts or cheese or change things up your own way.  Here are some other herbs to use in pesto and ideas on how to use them.

Basic Fresh Herb Pesto
Prep and Cook time:  20 min      Yield:  about 1 C
2 C fresh basil leaves or any other herb or combo of herbs, packed (can sub half the herb leaves with baby spinach)
1/2 C freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about ¼ C)
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c pine nuts (can sub other chopped nuts or leave out)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
Place the basil leaves and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times. Add the garlic and cheese and pulse several more times. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a small steady stream. Adding the olive oil slowly while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Stir in salt and black pepper.  Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Put a thin layer of oil on the top to keep it from turning brown.

Cilantro Pesto Recipe
Use the directions for Basic Herb Pesto to make this spicy version.
2 C packed cilantro, including stems
1/2 C blanched almonds   
1/4 C chopped red onion
1/2 tsp chopped and seeded serrano chile;  add more serrano chilies if you like things hot. A full teaspoon will give you a nice, warm pesto.
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 C olive oil
Toast the almonds: Heat a small skillet on high heat. When the pan is hot, add the blanched almonds in a single layer. Stir with a wooden spoon. When the almonds are fragrant and start to brown, remove them from the pan.

Here are a few other suggestions.  Use the Basic Herb Pesto recipe and directions making­­­­­­ the substitutions as indicated.
Kale-walnut pesto with spaghetti squash
     Bake the squash, scrape the inside to form “noodles”.   Add kale pesto to squash “noodles”
     and top with cherry tomatoes.  Heat and eat.

Oregano-pistachio pesto, also add 2 Tbsp lemon juice
      Serve on grilled or steamed fish

Lemon basil pesto
    Brush on chicken and grill

Mint pesto – no nuts or cheese
     Add to ground lamb before forming into patties

Using Any Herb Pesto
    Instead of garlic bread, spread pesto onto crusty bread and toast
    Stir pesto into bread dough for wonderfully fragrant dinner rolls or breads
    Stir pesto into quick breads and biscuits
    Spread on a Sandwich or Flatbread
    Mix pesto with mayonnaise and use on a sandwich
    Mix into Salad Dressing
    Toss (or Top) Veggies
    Summer squashes

Cilantro Abundance
We have an abundance of cilantro this year. We have harvested and dried what we hope will be all that we need for this year and are leaving the plants to flower and go to seed. We will harvest the seeds when they are ready, which is when about half the seeds have turned from greenish to grayish-tan. These will go in a paper bag to finish drying. Later we will use them as coriander for culinary purposes or as seed for next year’s planting. We chose to harvest some of this cilantro abundance for ourselves and preserve for winter time goodness. Although we did not make a “true” pesto because we left out some of the ingredients, we used the same directions.

• Sort and trim the cilantro – stems are ok we just didn’t want large ones
• Rinse the cilantro and dry in a salad spinner
• Fill the food processor bowl to the top and chop
• Add olive oil – enough to get the herb mixture to stick together in a mound, hold together
• Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl
• Place in ice cube trays to freeze

Frozen cubes are stored in freezer bag in freezer

We have an easy to use cilantro paste/sauce similar to pesto ready for those Mexican dishes that require a little spiciness. For those who would like to make true pesto, we offer the following recipe and ideas.

Preserving for use later
Pesto and the basic herb paste discussed above, freezes well.  You can easily freeze it in ice cube trays, and then store frozen pesto cubes in the freezer for up to 6 months. Pesto may also be frozen in small glass jars or plastic containers for up to 9-12 months.  One friend of ours does this every year, mixing herbs to her liking and creating a basic herbal paste, which she freezes in jars and uses all winter.  She simply pulls a small jar out, places it in the fridge to defrost, and then scoops out with a spoon however much she wants for her morning scrambled eggs and in soups and stews throughout the winter and spring.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation makes this statement concerning the canning of pesto:
"Pesto is an uncooked seasoning mixture of herbs, usually including fresh basil, and some oil. It may be frozen for long term storage; there are no home canning recommendations."
 
So get some pesto going with whatever herb you have on hand including the classic basil to enjoy now and preserve some for those rainy winter days we know will come.

The youngest member of our farm family has a favorite restaurant and it serves Mexican food.  His dad likes his Mexican food a little on the hot spicy side.  Their whole family enjoys their “taco” Saturday nights. This opportunity to enjoy Mexican food comes to them in part from a group of immigrants who played a vital role in our region.  As they came here they brought many elements of their culture including culinary styles and ingredients

The major group of Latinos who have settled in our state have come from Mexico. They began arriving in the 1870’s to provide mule packs for mines.  During World War II there was an increased demand for agricultural workers, so Mexicans were recruited to do the work.  Many stayed, sharing their cooking which we enjoy and make attempts to replicate. To do that it helps to know a little about what gives the flavor to Latin American dishes. Latin Americans use many of the herbs we use such as thyme, rosemary, oregano and marjoram but they also have a few not always familiar to our typical European taste buds.  Here are a few to consider.

Cilantro - is an easy to grow herb that is becoming a favorite of many Americans.  It is a member of the parsley family and grows similarly, even in appearance.  If left to flower and go to seed, the seeds are known as coriander, which is also used in Latino cooking.  The flavor of cilantro is a little spicy with a complex flavor with hints of pepper, sage and lemon.

Culantro - although related to cilantro, has a stronger flavor. It is an easy-to-grow herb that has many culinary uses in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cuisine. Although used in small amounts, its very strong flavor is used as a seasoning in a wide range of foods, including meats, vegetables, and chutneys. Plants grown under shade produce larger and greener leaves. It has long, serrated leaves and sports a blue flower when permitted to bolt. It actually looks a bit like a long-leafed lettuce and grows in a similar manner, from a centralized rosette. At the peak of its growth, a culantro plant can be one-foot tall and the leaves as much as two-inches wide.

Epazote  -  The coarse, robust plant may grow as tall as 5 feet with a much branched, downy stem that is woody at the base. Tiny greenish flowers in dense spikes in the leaf axils bloom in late summer and fall.  Commonly used as a spice in traditional Mexican dishes especially when preparing black beans as the herb has carminative properties and can help prevent flatulence.   Raw, it has a resinous pungency, similar to anise, fennel or even tarragon, but stronger, some consider it a bit like the smell of a squashed stink bug.  

Cumin – native to the eastern Mediterranean through to East India.  An annual flowering plant from the parsley family, whose seeds are used in the cuisines of Mexico, Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Has a nutty peppery flavor that packs a punch

Chile peppers –  Seeds are typically used or powder of all levels of heat

Annato seeds – seeds from achiote tree, used in rice and stews, imparts orange/yellow color

Adobo Seasoning  - all-purpose seasoning containing oregano, cumin, onion powder, chili/cayenne and paprika

Another group of immigrants who played a major role in our state are Asians.  Chinese were the first Asians to come to Washington during the mid--1800’s.  They came to work on railroads, in logging camps and at the canneries.  Japanese immigrants started arriving in the early 1900’s coming from Hawai’i.  They also came to work in canneries and logging camps and also to pick produce.  After the end of the war in Vietnam, SE Asians arrived.  All these groups brought their culinary experiences with them that have been incorporated into American cooking.  Interestingly, Asians use some of the same herbs that Latinos use including cumin, coriander(cilantro) and chilies.  They also have some herbs of that are more common to their cooking habits.

Lemon Basil – a typical annual basil plant with tones of lemon/citrus flavor; can be combined together with other herbs to make a paste - something commonly used in a wide variety of Asian cooking.

Chinese (garlic) chives - flat dark green leaves with white flowers. Its taste is stronger than chives in the U.S.  Both leaves and flowers are edible. The fresh leaves are flat and will wilt when cooked quickly in a hot wok. There are 2 types available, green and yellow. They grow similar to chives but do not spread so profusely or quickly.

Lemongrass -lends a fresh, fine, fragrant lemony tang with hints of ginger and mint. Harvest lemongrass for its bulbous stem bases, rich with lemony flavor, or clip leaves for infusing tea and soup stock.  Good with curries, fish, shrimp, soups, stews, marinades and stir-fries. Use a ¼ teaspoon to make a refreshing tea, hot or cold.  KITCHEN TIP: Before adding to dishes, slice lemongrass into rings or strips and bruise segments to release the flavor. Freezes well.  Lemongrass forms a tall, grassy clump 3 to 5 feet tall. Its appearance rivals that of many ornamental grasses and can easily fulfill a similar role in the landscape. Due to its tropical nature, lemongrass usually only survives winters in zones 8 and warmer. This citrus-flavored grass overwinters well in a dormant state in a cool, dark spot indoors, or you can grow it as an indoor herb through winter in colder zones.

Thai basil – widely used throughout Southeast Asia and plays a prominent role in Vietnamese cuisine. It is the cultivar most often used for Asian cooking in Western kitchens.  Varieties include Vietnamese and Siam basil.  A typical annual basil plant needing full sun and hot days.

Tumeric - underground stems (rhizomes) are dried and made into capsules, tablets, teas, or spice and a major ingredient in curry powder. Its primary active ingredients are yellow and used to color foods and cosmetics. Today it is used as a dietary supplement for inflammation; arthritis; stomach, skin, liver, and gallbladder problems; cancer; and other conditions.

 Ginger -fragrant underground stem (called a rhizome) widely used as a zesty flavoring in foods. It has risen to be among the top twelve spices most consumed in the United States.

Enjoy some new cooking adventures with these two interesting cuisines. The local newspaper often has recipes or there are undoubtedly many to peruse on the internet.  Garden Delights provides herb blends from various regions of the world – Italian, Mexican, Greek (Mediterranean), Herbes de Provence (France and Western Europe) and Savory Onion (Germany and Eastern Europe).

Chamomile – While there are two kinds of chamomile, Roman chamomile is best suited as a ground cover.  It will grow in sun and partial shade, requires very little watering, can be mowed and walked on.  It produces small daisy type flowers that give off an apple-ly scent especially when walked on.  Its feathery leaves are a light green/grey color. You can harvest and dry the flowers for bath salts and teas, as well as for potpourri.

Pennyroyal -  This low growing member of the mint family has been used to keep fleas away and it also makes a terrific groundcover. It creates a dark green mat with stalks of interesting flowers.  It can be mowed and walked on.  Pennyroyal can be a very powerful herb (especially the oil), so pregnant women should avoid handling it and it should not be used on pregnant animals.  Honeybees love the flowers and it provides an excellent source of forage for them.

Sweet Woodruff – This herb is well known as a shade ground cover. It grows to about 5”, spreads by runners fairly quickly.   The star-shaped whorls of leaves and lacy white flowers are quite attractive.  Traditionally in Germany, this herb is used to infuse white wines such as Reisling along with strawberries to make May wine, celebrating the turning toward summer.  It also makes a great addition to potpourri, with a lovely sweet dried hay scent.

Whether you choose these herbs or some other creeping type ground covers, keep in mind that ground covers should be low growing plants that spread somewhat aggressively and cover an area thickly enough to keep weeds at bay. Look at the area you plan to cover and decide will you walk on it, is it shady or sunny and just how much of that grassy lawn is going away. 
As we look to making our lives a little more simple with more time to do the things we want and with less impact on the environment, taking a good hard look at that grassy lawn might be one place to begin.